Obama honors veterans at Arlington National Cemetery

By Matt Vasilogambros

November 12, 2012

President Obama honored veterans on Sunday, delivering remarks and laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery in observance of the Veterans day holiday.

“On behalf of the American people, I say to you that the memory of your loved ones carries on not just in your hearts, but in ours as well,” he said at the Memorial Amphitheatre. “I assure you that their sacrifice will never be forgotten. For it is in that sacrifice that we see the enduring spirit of America.”

The president referenced his speech at Arlington National Cemetery three years ago, saying he fulfilled several of the promises he made in that address, including bringing an end to the war in Iraq, killing Osama bin Laden and targeting al-Qaida around the world.

“This is the first Veterans Day in a decade in which there are no American troops fighting and dying in Iraq,” Obama said.

Obama also focused on care and support for veterans, including initiatives by his administration to ensure medical benefits and a college education for those who have served.

“That’s what we do in America,” the president said. “We take care of our own. We take care of our veterans. We take care of your families. Not just by saluting you on one day, once a year, but by fighting for you and your families every day, of every year. That's our obligation, a sacred obligation to all of you.”

Before delivering remarks, the president, joined by First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, lead a crowd in a moment of silence at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where he laid a wreath.